Dra. Joana Faria

Preconception Consultation

It is highly advisable for both future mother and baby, that a preconception consultation is done - this is called preconception care.

The goal is to check for any potential risks to you and your baby during pregnancy and to address any medical issues that you may have before getting pregnant.

It's about becoming at the healthiest stage possible. There may be a need of medication changes or conditions investigation before you take that next step into pregnancy.

Examples:

• If you are overweight or underweight, you may have irregular periods and find it harder to conceive, and plus, both extremes are linked to pregnancy problems for both mother and baby.
• If you have any chronic disease (eg. high blood pressure, diabetes, auto-immune disease, cardiac, respiratory, gastro-intestinal or genito-urinary disease)
• Medication exposure, x-ray/CT-scan exposure, recent infections exposure, vaccines exposure
• Previous high-risk pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy, high blood pressure, diabetes, preterm delivery, haemorragy, abortion, stillbirth, baby malformations,…)
• Parents or family members with birth defect, developmental delay, or any other genetic syndromes

DON`T FORGET!

Most of the baby’s organs start to form in the first 3-10 weeks of pregnancy, and about 30% of women will have their first appointment just after this crucial period has already occurred. 

The goal of a preconception visit is to identify any risks to you, the baby, and your pregnancy, and then to minimize those risks and maximize your overall well-being. Schedule your preconception visit ideally about 3 months before trying to get pregnant.

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